Table 1 Reviewed studies

Male C57BL/6 mice

T9–11 contusion

Injection via tail vein

NGF or NGF-NVs solution (10 mg/kg/day)

Immediately after SCI, once per day until the animals were executed

Iimproved the survival of neurons and good behavioral and histological recovery effects after SCI

[28]

Female Wistar rats

T8–T9 contusion

At lesion

5 μl of hydrogel and 1 × 105 of transduced hADSCs in 5 μl hydrogel were injected

One-week post-injury

Repair damaged spinal cord and improve locomotor function

[33]

BALB/c mice

–

At lesion Intravenously

n(NGF) 2.5 mg kg⁻¹ of body weight

Every 4 days for 3 weeks

Extend the blood circulation half-life and functional recovery

[34]

Female Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats

T9 transection

At lesion

PDA-PLGA/NGF scaffolds

After SCI, once

Promote the proliferation and neuronal differentiation of NSCs in vitro

[35]

Female SD rats

T9–T10 contusion

Orthotopic injection at lesion

Orthotopic injection of HP, free GFs or GFs-HP solution (20 µL)

After SCI, single injection

Improve neuronal survival, axon regeneration, reactive astrogliosis suppression and locomotor recovery

[36]

Female Sprague-Dawley rats

T8 contusion

Injection into the tail vein

bFGF-loaded dual-targeting liposomes (bFGF@Lip-Cp&Rp)

0.5 mL liposomes (equivalent to 10 μg/mL of bFGF) weekly for 28 days

Repair the BSCB, enhance expression of tight-junction protein, advance M1 to M2 macrophage transformation, increase angiogenesis

Led to smaller spinal cord lesion cavity, neuronal and axonal regeneration, recovery of limb motor function

[37]

Female Sprague-Dawley rats

T9 to 10 transection

At lesion

4 mm CBD-NGF/PCL/GE scaffold

After SCI

Improvement in motor and neurological functions in the hind limbs of SCI rats and progress in the recovery of axonal transport

[38]

Female C57BL/6 J mice

T11 contusion

At lesion

BDNF mRNA (500 ng/µl)

After SCI, single dose

Enhancement of motor function recovery

[46]

Female Sprague-Dawley rats

T10

At lesion

Combination of ASCs overexpressing BDNF-NT3

After SCI

Increased formation of nerve fibers, increased GAP-43 expression, and decreased GFAP and caspase-3 expression

[47]

Female rats

L1 contusion

–

Intraperitoneal injection of 20 mg/kg LiCl

Three days after surgery

Increased BDNF/TrkB expression and decreased of apoptosis cell death

[55]

Acutely injured spinal cord slice cultures

–

–

Neural crest stem cells

–

Inhibition of glial activation by secretion of BDNF

[56]

Male Sprague-Dawley rats

T9

At the SCI site

Human urine stem cells combined with chondroitinase ABC

3 days after the completion of SCI model

Promoted BDNF and NGF, Improved motor function

[58]

Male Wistar rats

T10

At lesion

Epidural electrical stimulation

1 h each day for 14 consecutive days

Increased the expression of Wnt3, Wnt7, β‐catenin, cyclin D1, Nestin, and BDNF

[68]

Male Sprague-Dawley rats

T9–T10 contusion

At lesion

Treadmill exercise with bone marrow stromal cells

Bone marrow stromal cells: 1 week after SCI, Treadmill exercise: 6 days per a week for 6 weeks

Activated ERK1/2 pathway, and decreased Apoptosis

[62]

Female Sprague-Dawley rats

T10 contusion

At lesion

HAMC-KAFAK/BDNF hydrogel

After 5 min of SCI

Promoted nerve regeneration, and reduced proinflammatory cytokines expression and cystic cavitation, as well as decreased glial scar formation

[64]

Male Sprague-Dawley rats

T11 contusion

–

Intrathecal delivery of BDNF-overexpressing human neural stem cells

One week after the injury

Reduced numbers of Iba1- and iNOS-positive inflammatory cells as well as GFAP-positive astrocytes, Recovery functional, increased volume of spared myelination

[65]

Female Wistar rats

T9 contusion

At lesion

A silk fibroin/alginates/glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor (SF/AGs/GDNF) scaffold seeded with human umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells (hUCMSCs)

After SCI

Increased the number of surviving neurons

[74]

Male Wistar rats

T10 contusion

At lesion

GDNF gene-engineered adipose-derived stem cells seeded Emu oil-loaded electrospun nanofibers

After SCI

Recovery of motor function, reduced the size of the lesion cavity and axonal demyelination

[76]

Female Sprague-Dawley rats

T9–T10 contusion

-

NT-3

After SCI

Inhibited excessive autophagy of oligodendrocytes, and promoted the recovery of motor function

[83]

Rat

T8 transection

–

NT-3

After SCI

Inhibited the MAPK signaling pathway, decreased inflammation

[85]

Female Sprague-Dawley rats

T9

At lesion

Neurotrophin-3-loaded multichannel nanofibrous scaffolds

After SCI

Promoted anti-inflammation, neuronal differentiation, and functional recovery

[86]